How abstract art, graphic design and point cloud tech combine in unique indie game Dreams of Another

The dreamlike visuals for Dreams of Another, when it was first announced at Sony's February State of Play, make just as strong an impression as the sight of its protagonist, a man in pyjamas, holding an assault rifle, which instead of being used as a weapon actually results in objects materialising into being. A form of creation, if you will, which incidentally fits the game's tagline: no creation without destruction.

It's quite the philosophical musing from developer Q-Games and the game's director Baiyon, who has a background in multimedia art, both in graphic design and music. Indeed, the studio's founder Dylan Cuthbert had originally invited him to design the graphics and soundtrack for the PSN game PixelJunk Eden before he ended up joining the developer, directing PixelJunk 4am and PixelJunk Eden 2.

Pixels but not junk

Dreams of Another also belongs in the studio's PixelJunk series of games, which despite taking on a different aesthetic than previous entries, is nonetheless a continuation of Baiyon's interests in making art with an abstract approach.

"I’d say that abstract expression represents a kind of freedom for me, and likewise, for the audience, there's freedom in how they interpret it," he tells me.

"We humans are creatures who, to the extent of being ensnared by freedom, cling to it. And as a result, my freedom and your freedom can clash anytime. But abstract art is a rare example where such clashing of freedoms doesn't occur. It allows the creator's freedom and the beholder's freedom of interpretation to coexist without interfering with each other."

At first glance of the visuals, it's hard not to think that pointillism, derived from French impressionism in the late 19th century, this traditional art form was a major influence. However, Baiyon clarifies that one of his major artistic influences had actually been the work of Japanese avant-garde artist group The Gutai Art Association, notably its member Sadamasa Motonaga, who was known for his humorous biomorphic abstract paintings and objects.

However, as a game that makes use of point cloud technology, the biggest influence had in fact come from just exploring point cloud videos online. While point cloud technology is already commonly used in 3D visualisation and photogrammetry, the more recent experimental art with the tech had been a point (no pun intended) of fascination for Cuthbert, who would send over more of these point cloud videos for Baiyon to explore.

Pointing to clouds for inspiration

"While I was thinking through ideas for the game, I revisited some point cloud videos that Dylan had recommended to me before, and suddenly, the atmosphere of the game – including the visuals, gameplay and sound – all came together in my mind," Baiyon explains. "In Dreams of Another, I wanted to depict a world of dreams that’s unstable, ever-changing, and hazy, the point cloud style naturally fitted that vision."

Although Dreams of Another is made using Unity, it makes use of Q-Games' own unique point cloud technology, with countless points rendered on screen, shifting dynamically in response to the player's actions.

"Even the character models were created, then implemented, and only after that carefully adjusted," Baiyon explains. "It was an incredibly painstaking process – checking whether they truly fit the hazy, dreamlike world, how they would appear both in their abstracted and materialised forms" – that is in reference to how people and objects initially appear in completely abstract form until the player shoots them, as they materialise in something more recognisable and concrete.

Baiyon compares the process almost to how art was created for PC Engine games (one of the best retro game consoles), known for its richly detailed pixel art. "Developers would first draw storyboards, then complete the animation as a film, and only afterward redraw each frame as pixel art," he explains. "Similarly, this project wasn’t about just displaying things as they were created; it was crafted through a multi-layered and meticulous process."

"What’s more, the world of Dreams of Another is constantly shifting, so the team put in a tremendous amount of effort into fine-tuning and optimisation. Thanks to the team, we were able to create a game unlike anything seen before – one where the player can always influence its beautiful, pointillistic world."

Shooting for something artistic

Given how it's supposed to subvert the violent tendencies of gun-based games, it's interesting then that it still contains realistic-looking weapons, such as your starting assault rifle as well as a rocket launcher. Then again, from the brief snapshots of unusual locations in the game, such as in a fairground, you may also catch the sight of a scene lifted from a more military-themed third person shooter.

"I see the firearms in Dreams of Another as a form of symbolism," Baiyon explains, somewhat elusively. "They’re not just guns - they’re guns as they exist within games. I needed the guns to have a realistic look - something anyone would instantly recognise as 'a gun in a game'."

Baiyon adds: "With that said, Dreams of Another does have a story, so I hope players will see for themselves what kind of presence guns have in the game, and what they come to mean within that narrative."

If that means I come away with even more questions than when I started, perhaps that is the point – again, no pun intended.

Dreams of Another is coming soon to PS5, and will also be exclusive to PSVR2. Visit the Q-Games website for more info.